Book Reviews

Hallmarks of Design  Evidence of Design in the Natural World by Stuart Burgess,

published by Day One Publications, paperback, 200 pages, £6.99.

Evolution has long held a dominant position in modern thought. It assumes that all life-forms are the result of the accumulation of slight changes over vast periods of time. The author points to a key assumption: that all evolving mechanisms in each creature have some useful function at every stage. However, as he points out, many mechanisms are irreducible; that is, they cannot work unless they are complete. The human knee joint is one such mechanism; Mr Burgess explains in simple, non-technical terms that, unless all the parts are in place, it cannot operate. It could not have evolved; it must have been created.

The author also comments on the amazing relationship between bones and other parts of the body as clear evidence of design: “The bone marrow within bones produces red blood cells for the blood at the rate of 1.5 million cells per second with every single cell containing 250 molecules of haemoglobin! The bones also need blood for supplying energy, removing waste and controlling temperature. There is even interdependence between the bones and the liver because the liver stores a particular vitamin (B12) that is essential for the proper production of blood cells. Considering that the liver has been considered to have over 500 functions, this gives some idea of the complexity of the human body! The parts of the human body are so interrelated and mutually dependant that the body can only function if all of the major organs and their infrastructure exist simultaneously.” And there is much more on similar lines, but the book in no way demands that the reader should have a knowledge of science.

The author is perfectly clear as to where we should go for a true account of origins: “It is ironic how governments spend billions of pounds researching evolution and searching for life in space when a detailed account of origins can be found by simply reading the book of Genesis! It is even more ironic that people who believe in theistic evolution would rather have faith in a man-made and bizarre theory of origins than believe the account of origins that has been directly given to mankind by an infinitely powerful and wise Creator.” Again it is a sad, but true, observation: “Evolution is disastrous because if you teach people that they are animals then it is inevitable that they will behave like animals”.

This is a useful book. As the author says in his Introduction, “the question of origins is very important because it greatly affects the answers to other ultimate questions such as the purpose of life and what happens after death. Faith in chance evolution logically leads to the belief that there is no God and no life after death. On the other hand, faith in instantaneous creation leads to the belief that there is a God who is in control of the world and our eternal destiny. Considering the implications of origins, it is very important to be aware of the evidence for a Creator rather than just blindly accepting the theory of evolution.” This being so, those who read the book should be more prepared to resist the theory of evolution, which has done so much to influence people today to assume that there is no God. It is a pity that Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version.